Living in Miami Beach is nothing better than living in Siberia or Chattanooga, it is the equivalent of the twilight zone, far away from anything that relates to fashion week. Plus, it must be added, the endless summers, scorching heat and unforgiving humidity don’t go with fall, sweaters, change of the season in your wardrobe and switch to black.
[image by Kyle Ericksen]
That’s why in a sort of survival mode, we are forced to do fashion week and go through it fabulously from … home. It comes out being a tour de force of juggling amongst live streamed runways and virtual first rows by vicariously looking at the posts of a bunch of handles.
Who to follow?
I try to have a nice balance between the ‘fashion circus’ that gives me the Kardashian street style side of it and then the trustworthy authorities who watch with acumen, professionalism and attentively nail THE look, THE color, THE accessory. It’s a balancing act where Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, online and newsfeed are all involved, a merry-go-round.
How can you see the whole collection without being there?
In a matter of minutes from the runway, every look gets posted in a slideshow on WWD and Style.com That’s where you can peruse all you have been missing, the shoe, the bag, the hair and make up and the swishing and swaying of the embroideries. By the end of the day you read the reviews also, if you haven’t done yours already.
How do you ‘yay or nay’ a collection by staring at some pictures on your phone?
Having done this for some 20 years, my eyes are trained to the point I don’t know better. You must know your shit. There are designers I look forward to seeing because they have done something extraordinary the previous season and want to see the evolution. So far I haven’t seen anybody yet.
There are geniuses I simply adore, like Oscar de la Renta.
[oscardelarenta.com]
There are the surprises, the most thrilling ones, like Houghton and Del Pozo.
Some secrets you feel like sharing?
I have this seemingly unique passion for the underdogs for which I stand against the odds. Last season I fell in love with Emilia Wickstead who was already a favorite of Catherine Middleton. Go with your style, watch the details, let the collection talk to you, play with your first instincts.
When a collection is anticipated by the fashion circus frenzy, build your guard high and expect an impeccable performance, don’t get carried away. An example of this past week has been Prabal Gurung. I open Instagram and it’s a PG takeover, the delirium of the ‘fashion circus’ (see above to guess who). After seeing the whole enchilada, look by look, it comes out being any other collection, profoundly inspired by look alike wannabe of the latest Christian Dior by Simons, ill-fitting to most of the models, screaming “give me some love”.
Sounds like a lot of work, but it takes practice and it becomes like going to the gym. BTW, remember to wear your Nike Fuel Band